1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to sports exercise equipment. More specifically, it relates to a device that exercises muscles and improves performance in sports that require swinging an apparatus, e.g., club, bat, stick, or racket.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Sports training devices are known in the art for aiding in the swinging motion of a piece of sporting equipment, such as a baseball bat. However, they fail to teach or suggest a mechanism that allows the full range of motion without becoming entangled around the shaft of the club, bat, stick, or racket.
One such device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,918 to Rupnik et al. This device teaches an attachment to a golf club that only provides air resistance when the club is swung incorrectly. This device attempts to eliminate the slice in a golf swing. Also, the air foil in this invention is made of a stiff material and therefore does not freely move about the shaft based on a user's unique swing.
A previous patent obtained by the current applicant (U.S. Pat. No. 8,202,204 to Celone et al.) teaches an apparatus that is attached by coupling links affixed to the shaft of the club. It also alleges 360° motion about the shaft; however, the device could become entangled around the shaft of the club, bat, stick, or racket, due to the ends of the drag chute being capable of rotating at different speeds, independent of each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,384,344 to Aguirre teaches an apparatus that includes a drag chute that is filled with air and kept from becoming entangled by its booms and is attached to a shaft by boom mounts. However, the device in Aguirre does not attach to the club, bat, stick, or racket. Therefore, a user cannot practice hitting the ball as in golf, baseball and tennis, or hit the puck in hockey. This is a serious drawback if the user's goal is to train for a specific sport. Further, the mechanism by which the drag chute couples to the club appears to be quite complex, but it functions for its own purpose sine a user cannot remove the training device from the club; rather, it is manufactured to be affixed on the club, thus permitting a greater flexibility for how the training device can be structured.
Another patent obtained by the applicant (U.S. Pat. No. 9,636,560 to Thomas J. Celone et al.) teaches an apparatus that couples to a bat's shaft and allows a full, 360° range of motion around the shaft. However, though quite effective, this device can be deemed slightly bulky (with certain embodiments having multiple rods therein) and permits only one resistance level (e.g., max resistance) when swinging the bat. Thus, the device may only be suited for certain users.
Collectively, previous devices have allowed for 360° motion; however, these devices must utilize a static air foil or risk becoming entangled around the shaft of the club, bat, stick, or racket, and they only offer a single level of resistance.
Moreover, rehabilitation devices are known in the art for improving muscle strength, rotation, and flexibility. Such rehabilitation devices are often used in the aftermath of an injury or other debilitation, such as a broken bone or a pulled muscle. For example, a patient recovering from a broken clavicle may require rehabilitation of the shoulder, arm, and hand, and the related muscles and nerves thereof. Such a patient typically performs rehabilitation exercises using a flexible band made of rubber designed to be wrapped around a secure structure, such as a wall, door, doorknob, or the patient's foot. Alternatively, the flexible band may be formed from another deformable material that is capable of providing resistance when stretched, so long as the material is designed to rebound to a position of repose when no longer receiving a force. The patient rebuilds arm strength and mobility by stretching the band and overcoming the resistance offered by the secure structure. While such devices are useful in rehabilitation applications, they are cumbersome in use and typically require an external structure to provide an adequate platform for the rehabilitation exercises. Moreover, since such devices are made from rubber or other deformable, elastic materials, the devices are prone to breaking upon receiving too great of a force from the user, which can be dangerous to the user if the bands snap during an exercise. The user can fall and experience a reinjury or a new injury as a result of the snapped band.
Accordingly, what is needed is an easily-grippable rehabilitation device that provides a full, 360° range of motion around the handle of the device, and provides an adjustable air resistance for rehabilitation, regardless of strength level or the patient's need. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.